Sleeping Beauty

The south coast of Sussex seemed like an unlikely place to witness a leading Russian ballet company and its 32-piece orchestra perform ‘Sleeping Beauty’, but this was a fantastic night out that left me hankering for more. We were expecting to see the famous Irina Kolesnikova, the company’s principal dancer, who has been featured in a recent book about her life, but tonight the lead role of Princess Aurora was played by the equally talented and petite figure of Sabina Yapparova.  She trained under the demanding eye of the skilled ballet mistress, Alla Osipenko, and tonight she shone like the brightest star in the theatrical constellation. Performed in three acts, ‘Sleeping Beauty’ will be a familiar tale to many readers and when the curtain rose to reveal the lavish constumes and extravagant sets in Act I, my mind was already reeling with the dazzling array of colour and imagination that had gone into the set design. The scheming Carabosse, or wicked witch, played here by Dymchik Saykeev, limps across the stage with a gnarled walking stick accompanied by her two ugly and hook-nosed cohorts. The dank confines of her castle are soon replaced by the wonderful setting of the royal court, with the christening of the baby Princess a symbolic representation of future tragedy. And, just as prophesied, when the Princess reaches her eighteenth birthday in Act II, she pricks her finger on a rose and both her and the whole kingdom are plunged into a seemingly endless sleep. After a comedic scene in which a hunter accidentally fires an arrow into the right buttock of one of his companions and is angrily pursued through the woods, Act II features an incredible dance scene in which leading man Prince Florimund (Andrey Yakhnuk) comes across the Fairy of Goodness and Light (Anastasia Khabarova) in a forest clearing and is then shown a vision of the beautiful Princess. He falls in love with her and vows to release her from the imposed slumber right away, forcing Carabosse to die in a bubbling cauldron prior to brushing aside Carabosse’s deformed aides and then planting a tender kiss on Princess Aurora’s lips. At that moment, the whole kingdom is released from the demonic spell and plans are made for the wedding. In Act III, the illuminated backdrop features various guests from the fairytale world arriving through a terrace door and each performing their own cameo roles. Little Mook is followed by Scheherazade, a knight, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, two impressive bluebirds – one of whom is played by Egor Davidov – Puss-In-Boots (Dimitry Shevtsov) and his feline associate (the fluffy-eared tease, Asia Lukmanova), and then Little Red Riding Hood (Olga Souvorova) pursued by the wolf (perennial villain, Dymchik Saykeev) in a flurry of tender embraces and carnivorous pawing. Finally, as the Fairy of Light and Goodness returns to bless their happy union, the gentle Adagio features Aurora and Florimund in a breathtaking display of poise, elegance and sheer athleticism. The applause at the end is rapturous and we have just had the privilege of watching an incomparable evening of High Russian culture. Not merely a visual experience, but something further elevated by Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s evergreen score (conducted here by Alexsandr Kantorov) that has you humming all the way home from the theatre. The following day, I discovered three members of the orchestra busking in the street. Quite a contrast from the splendiferous frolics taking place in the stage fleapit the night before, but if they’re being paid in accordance with the Russian wage system then I suppose they have to supplement their nightly income somehow. The St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre tour was coming to an end when I went to see it, but if you get the chance to enjoy one of their performances in the future – including other ballets like ‘Swan Lake’, ‘The Nutcracker’ and ‘Giselle’ – then please do so. You won’t be disappointed.